A tensioning or guide rail is known from DE 102011017769 A1 in which a vibration absorber is disposed below the sliding coat. The vibration absorber comprises an elastomer layer and at least one absorber mass coupled to the elastomer layer. The vibration absorber is designed as a spring-mass system. The vibration absorber comprises such a soft connection to the rail that the mass of the absorber follows the movement of the rail with a certain delay. During vibration of the rail, the connection is stretched and compressed, the associated energy consumption is eliminated from the vibration and thereby acts in an absorbing manner. The vibration absorber is usually designed such that its own frequency is in a certain relation to the vibration frequency of the rail to be eliminated. At this optimized frequency, the vibration absorber withdraws vibration energy from the rail for its own vibratory motions.
Tensioning or guide rails are often employed in highly dynamic chain drives in internal combustion engines, such as timing chain drives. Vibrations in this system can lead to undesired noise and loads, for which reason vibration damping is of great importance. Although the document cited discusses a principle for vibration absorption, it does not, however, provide any specific design that can be employed in practice, for example, in a highly dynamic chain drive.